Steubenville Rape Case: Student in online video leaves Ohio State, lawyer cites threats

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

Activists from the hacker groups KnightSec and Anonymous protest at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Steubenville, Ohio, Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013.

/ AP Photo/The Plain Dealer, Thomas Ondrey

(CBS/AP) COLUMBUS, Ohio - An Ohio State University freshman shown in a video joking about a teenage girl allegedly raped by two high school football players will not be returning to school for the spring semester, his attorney says.

According to the Steubenville Herald Star, Michael Nodianos' attorney says someone has hacked into his client's email and social media accounts and the email accounts of his family members. They've also reportedly had to change cell phones.

""The Nodianos family hopes this will die down after the case is resolved and he can go back to college and return to the normal life of a college student," McNamara said in the press conference.

McNamara said people were attempted to find Nodianos' class schedule and even came to his dormitory looking for him, the Daily Beast reports.

Two teenage boys are set for trial next month in juvenile court in Steubenville, a city of about 18,000, on charges that they raped a 16-year-old girl in August. Their attorneys have denied the charges in court.

McNamara said Monday that Nodianos, a 2012 graduate of Steubenville High School and an Ohio State University academic scholarship student this past fall, was ashamed and embarrassed about his comments in the now infamous video and the effect his behavior has had, especially on his family.

McNamara said Nodianos is not a suspect in the investigation and was not present at the scene of the alleged attack. The attorney said the student was drinking the night the video was taken and was intoxicated when it was made.

"There is no excuse or justification for the comments and jokes Michael made on the video," McNamara said.

"With sober reflection, he is ashamed and embarrassed," the lawyer said. "He sincerely regrets his behavior and the effect it has had on all parties involved, especially his family. He was not raised to act in this manner."

Complete coverage of the Steubenville Rape Case on Crimesider

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by Canton2003 January 17, 2013 10:07 AM EST: All The Steubenville Football Players, Coaches, and etc who cover up the rape should be charge. Especially the adults what example are you showing the kids "Do not worry well make it go away". Hopefully everyone is involve with the rape and cover up get charge to the part of the rape or cover up. The I "HOPE" the girl who was rape sue their butts off!!!; Reply to this comment


by taosjet January 11, 2013 11:19 PM EST: pigs, I hope they all do prison time; Reply to this comment


by Dumbowski January 11, 2013 12:27 PM EST: Stubenville Ohio is an oligarchy!! Procusecute the witnesses to a violent crime as co-conspirators!; Reply to this comment


by TruthHurtsAll January 10, 2013 1:07 PM EST: Nice job of reporting CBS, this news broke almost a week ago. Why do you blur the video when an unblurred copy can be found online with relative ease? Are you protecting the perpetrators (Oh, I'm sorry, the ALLEGED perpetrators)?; Reply to this comment

by cedaly68 January 10, 2013 10:32 AM EST

Ohio State posted on their Facebook page that the guy was no longer enrolled at the university. That's the most interesting thing I have seen from OSU - why would they do that?

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by linfinster January 12, 2013 11:29 AM EST: Probably so that the angry mobs, media and idiots that go looking to find that disgraceful example of a student wont come onto the campus and cause more difficulties for them. AND a can't bel\ieve they say he was too drunk to understand his conversation. He wasn't slurring words, staggering ... what BS!

by ibwilliamsi January 10, 2013 9:41 AM EST

The attorney said the student was drinking the night the video was taken and was intoxicated when it was made.

IN VINO VERITAS

"With sober reflection, he is ashamed and embarrassed," the lawyer said. "He sincerely regrets his behavior and the effect it has had on all parties involved, especially his family. He was not raised to act in this manner."

In sobriety, regrets. Regrets for "behavior" and for the "effect his behavior has had on others". No regrets that this is what comes out of his mouth when the brain to mouth filter has been compromised by alcohol. He may well have not been raised to act in this manner, but he most certainly was not raised to NOT act in this manner.

Ohio State Code of Moral Conduct for Academic Scholars, anyone?

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by robsmom3 January 11, 2013 2:12 PM EST: It has nothing to do with their moral code. He was receiving threats. People, for some reason, don't want their girlfriend, sister, daughter going to school with a guy that showed everyone that he thinks rape is funny.

by acs2012 January 10, 2013 5:17 AM EST

really, the poor guy, he didn't seem to mind being a member of the "rape crew" at the Big Red HS. doesn't regret what he said, just the effect on his life and family. Why isn't the FBI involved in this case, they crossed state lines in the commision of a crime. Kidnapped the girl (under 16 at the time). drugged her, rapped her, sexually and physically abused her. and yet only 2 are charged with any crime. the police in stubenville are complicit in destruction of evidence,
THE FBI REALLY NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS.

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by twmat311 January 10, 2013 8:43 AM EST: With the precedent of that similar Bedford Mass. case some years ago, you'd think charges would be filed immediately.


by suesteubenville January 10, 2013 1:42 PM EST: http://localleaks.blogs.ru/2013/01/01/steubenvillefiles/ Here is a link with all the details of the Steubenville rape crew and Michael Nodianos. It contains one of his tweets and the original unedited video. Check it out. I guarantee you wont feel bad for him afterwards.

by FormerUSMCSergeant January 9, 2013 11:28 PM EST

by robsmom3 January 9, 2013 9:08 PM EST
I get upset now just thinking that my son ever had such a thought.
---
Is there a father in "your" boy's life?

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by jnostromo January 10, 2013 8:31 AM EST: Could be his father shares the same view.."Like father like son"..if there are millions in this country who blame the rape victim instead of the rapist....What this and other incidents go to prove is how lax our society has become when it comes to parenting, accountability and punishment.


by robsmom3 January 11, 2013 2:14 PM EST: No. There was when he was younger. His dad was a rape apologist whom I had arguments with about it. My son was only repeating what he'd heard but he knows better now.


by robsmom3 January 9, 2013 9:08 PM EST: I would be mortified to the point of physical illness, if I were his mother. My son is 17 and once or twice, when he was younger, he boarder line Implied, that a rape victim might be at fault. That was probably the most angry I've EVER been with him and he knew it. There was some anger, some serious talking and he was assured that if he EVER did anything remotely close to that, he would sit in jail. I would NOT bail him out, like these parents did. I get upset now just thinking that my son ever had such a thought.; Reply to this comment


by WESTNT2012 January 9, 2013 8:56 PM EST: He doesn't regret a thing about what happened to that girl. What he regrets is being caught, and held semi-accountable for what he did. I am glad he lost his scholarship to Ohio State. He deserves to be shunned by society, just the first of many punishments he should receive. Though I doubt he will get anymore... And knowing of a crime and not reporting it is a crime in and of itself, and should be charged with that, and so should all the other "kids" who stood there and did nothing.; Reply to this comment